Tonight’s dinner
- Thread starter Kbar
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fluffysal
Forum Donator 2024/25
I'll eat it if they don't! Please be aware that certain foods need to be limited for various reasons including sugar, acids, high calcium and can cause bloat which can be fatal. I don't know how to link the diet guides but safe everyday foods are lettuce ( not iceberg) , cucumber bell pepper and cilantro. Other foods are fine as occasional.
This is the diet guide
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
There is too much carrot and apple in the bowls. They should not have that much and certainly not together as they are far too sugary and unhealthy.
One slice of apple per pig and just once a week is more than enough.
Sprouts and cabbage together is also a lot of brassica which can risk bloat.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
There is too much carrot and apple in the bowls. They should not have that much and certainly not together as they are far too sugary and unhealthy.
One slice of apple per pig and just once a week is more than enough.
Sprouts and cabbage together is also a lot of brassica which can risk bloat.
Kbar
Junior Guinea Pig
I can’t have cilantro due to human allergies in the house but I do regularly feed them fresh parsley. Tonight was cage change night which is where they get their once a week “exotic veggie treats” and I let them splurge a bit. Most nights look more like this:
Celery greens, 1 celery stalk cut up, a smidge of broccoli slaw (shredded broccoli stalks with a minuscule amount of shredded carrots and red cabbage) all topped with spring mix. And once a month they each get a full Twinkie.
Celery greens, 1 celery stalk cut up, a smidge of broccoli slaw (shredded broccoli stalks with a minuscule amount of shredded carrots and red cabbage) all topped with spring mix. And once a month they each get a full Twinkie.
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Kbar
Junior Guinea Pig
Rosie loves blueberries, Gemma has a thing for mushrooms, and Ruby is the fat kind of the group and will eat a tire if you put her near enough to it.
I alternate radishes, baby carrots, apple slices, grape tomatoes, and blueberries. They get banana rinds as treats. Once a week they just get their hay and pellets to give them a chance to clear stuff out. Asparagus, avocado, mango, strawberries, Brussels, banana fruit, pear, and mushrooms are very occasional things for them. Once in a very blue moon they get iceberg lettuce, because it’s Ruby’s favorite and sometimes it’s all we got at the moment.
And I was kidding about the Twinkie
I alternate radishes, baby carrots, apple slices, grape tomatoes, and blueberries. They get banana rinds as treats. Once a week they just get their hay and pellets to give them a chance to clear stuff out. Asparagus, avocado, mango, strawberries, Brussels, banana fruit, pear, and mushrooms are very occasional things for them. Once in a very blue moon they get iceberg lettuce, because it’s Ruby’s favorite and sometimes it’s all we got at the moment.
And I was kidding about the Twinkie
Pantalaimon
Junior Guinea Pig
Just so that you know, as you seem to care about your pigs and would be upset if they were hurt. Avocado is highly toxic so should never be fed, and mushrooms are not vegetables or fruits so should also not be fed (though I don’t believe a small amount will kill them, they should be avoided).
If you only have iceberg lettuce, you are better off feeding them fresh grass or no veg at all. If they develop diarrhoea from eating iceberg lettuce it could make them seriously ill and lead to other complications.
Blueberries are a favourite with many pigs, mine love them but o my get them a few times a year.
fluffysal
Forum Donator 2024/25
We come across as a bunch of killjoys! We are fun really, I promise.
I have not personally had to deal with bloat and hopefully never will. I used to love spoiling my beastie boys with foods I know they love but having read so many threads on treating piggies with bloat, too many with sad outcomes I think more carefully.
I have not personally had to deal with bloat and hopefully never will. I used to love spoiling my beastie boys with foods I know they love but having read so many threads on treating piggies with bloat, too many with sad outcomes I think more carefully.
tatiana123
New Born Pup
I feed by grass and hay only mainly. But sometimes throw in some peppers, cucumber, broccoli or sweetcorn. They love sweetcorn especially.
Kbar
Junior Guinea Pig
Well, I thought I was doing right by them. Guess I’ll scale my efforts back to just spring mix and celery… I live in a 500 sqft apartment. I can’t just let them outside to eat grass. To many predatory birds and a-holes with untrained off-leash pit bulls to risk that. Bell pepper have been scarce and expensive here lately. I can’t imagine why, but they are. While it looks as though my living situation will change soon, but for now I’m stuck with what I can get at the supermarket.
Spring mix - depends on the ingredients.
If it contains spinach then that should not be fed more than once a week. Spinach is too high in calcium to be in the diet safely (risks bladder stone formation).
Veg such as collard greens are also high in oxalates (again, bladder stones). While it is a more mild member of the cabbage family and can be fed in very small amounts, too much cabbage (or any brassica) can risk bloat.
Tomatoes are acidic to feature in the diet.
Fruits and tomatoes should not be fed any more than one type in one very small amount, once a week. I give fruit once a year as a treat in summer. They’ve never had tomato.
As the others have said, the diet you are giving does need to be reviewed.
The only safe veggies that provide a good mix of nutrients without being too high in calcium and oxalates (which lead to bladder stone formation) and without being too high in sugar (all fruit, tomato and sweetcorn) (which can lead overgrowth is the wrong kind of gut bacteria and consequently severe gut problems and obesity, along without a lip infection called cheilitis) are lettuce, cucumber, pepper and cilantro.
Everything else is either in moderation or as a very occasional treat.
Pantalaimon
Junior Guinea Pig
My pigs don’t go outside, I find safe places to pick the grass and bring it in to them! (Though I am well aware that finding an area free from dog and cat urine can be very difficult in a town or city)
fluffysal
Forum Donator 2024/25
Mine never get fresh grass. Have you considered growing your own herbs for them? I live in a small flat and grow them in window boxes.
Spring100
Junior Guinea Pig
And what about parsley and celery sticks?
Parsley is high calcium so cannot be fed regularly (no more than one a week).
A small amount of celery can be given daily but the leaves are high in oxalate so can’t be a regular
Freya1234
Teenage Guinea Pig
If they always have access to unlimited hay they should never go hungry (even if they try to tell you they are with loud wheeks!), hay should make up 80% of their diet. I was also overwhelmed when learning what veggies are best and now I have a routine on a saturday where i chop up their veg for the week which goes into separated tubs and they get little gem lettuce, coriander/cilantro, bell pepper and cucumber daily then each day they get one other veggie item that’s their ‘treat’ i.e. Spinach, greens, kale, baby corn, broccoli, green beans.
Not sure if someone‘s already linked it but here is a guide that might help you:
Edible And Forbidden Veg And Fruit List With Vitamin C Grading
Not sure if someone‘s already linked it but here is a guide that might help you:
Edible And Forbidden Veg And Fruit List With Vitamin C Grading
Pantalaimon
Junior Guinea Pig
Don’t worry, they are extremely good at convincing you they are very hungry all the time!
They don’t actually need that much food and can easily become obese.Kbar
Junior Guinea Pig
OK, so here's what I am doing now. Instead of feeding them all at once at night, I'm splitting their food up to three separate meals. In the morning its snack time and they get a very small bowl of cut celery stalks, no leaves, bell pepper, and once a week I give them 1/3 radish each during this meal. For "lunch" they get their daily timothy hay and once a week I give them 1-2 baby carrots at this meal based on the size of the carrots. For supper they get their spring mix with a smidge of broccoli slaw sprinkled on top. On cage change days, (every Saturday) they get three blue berries - or- an apple slice or two - or - cherry/grape tomatoes (1-2 depending on size). This is probably going to be as good as it gets cause the wife already thinks they're going to die of starvation.
Are you only filling their hay once a day?
Best to do it more than that - twice a day at least.
If you are giving carrots in a week then don’t give fruit in the week as welll.
Pound Shilling & Pig
Adult Guinea Pig
If they're getting a baby carrot once a week I really don't see the harm in them also getting 3 blue berries in the same week.
My pigs get carrots twice a week but rarely any fruit.
My pigs get carrots twice a week but rarely any fruit.
fluffysal
Forum Donator 2024/25
Your piggies are all spoilt as mine only get carrot peelings and ends, I'm not sharing!
Kbar
Junior Guinea Pig
OK, I'll bite...how many times a day should they be getting hay?
Freya1234
Teenage Guinea Pig
They should always have access to unlimited hay since it makes up 80% of their diet. I re-fill my pigs hay twice a day in the morning and evening but it’s usually more of a top up since they prefer fresh hay, they should never be running out.
Lots of it available all day.
Mine get a very large handful in the morning and again in the evening. At lunchtime they get a small handful of special hay. They get peas and nuggets at tea time and veggies for brekkie and tea. Hardly any fruit or carrots.
Kbar
Junior Guinea Pig
So they need bigger hay bowls? I guess mine are legitimately hungry. Geeze...But they've all gained nearly a quarter pound by my estimation since I they came under my care, so I don't think they are starving....
Kbar
Junior Guinea Pig
But peas have more carbs than carrots do... and what do you mean nuggets? like chicken nuggets? and can I give them pecans?Lots of it available all day.
Mine get a very large handful in the morning and again in the evening. At lunchtime they get a small handful of special hay. They get peas and nuggets at tea time and veggies for brekkie and tea. Hardly any fruit or carrots.
You don’t feed hay by bowls - it should be just thrown in in huge piles and be constantly available.
Mine have their hay topped up a minimum of twice a day.
Their main diet is hay; not veg. Veg should be just one cup per day..
I think weepweeps means peaflakes which are a treat.
Nuggets are their pellets, which they can have one tablespoon of per day.
No you can’t give them pecans! No nuts or seeds
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
Edible And Forbidden Veg And Fruit List With Vitamin C Grading
Mine have their hay topped up a minimum of twice a day.
Their main diet is hay; not veg. Veg should be just one cup per day..
I think weepweeps means peaflakes which are a treat.
Nuggets are their pellets, which they can have one tablespoon of per day.
No you can’t give them pecans! No nuts or seeds
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
Edible And Forbidden Veg And Fruit List With Vitamin C Grading
Freya1234
Teenage Guinea Pig
I wouldn’t bother with bowls for hay, just a massive pile. I have a tray for my 3 which encourages foraging and is always topped up with unlimited access. I also wanted to add that hay isn’t just so they aren’t hungry, it’s also important in grinding down their teeth which constantly grow. Something that veg and nuggets won’t help with.
Sorry for the confusion. Yes I meant a few pea flakes as a treat. I call their piggy food nuggets. No nuts for piggies.